CNN political contributor Donna Brazile visits Jackson State University

CNN political contributor Donna Brazile shared her thoughts about government, politics and her career as part of Jackson State University’s celebration of Constitution Day on Sept. 17 in the Rose McCoy Auditorium.

Brazile’s witty and informed commentary was welcomed by the audience of students, JSU faculty and staff, local politicians and community members.

Constitution Day is a great opportunity for students to engage in a discussion on the Constitution of the United States as it relates to freedom of speech, voting rights, and the right to bear arms. The event is free and open to the public.

Dr. Gary Crosby, director of the Center of Student Engagement, stated that Brazile is the perfect speaker for this event because she has both expert political experience with the Constitution and relation to southern politics because of her local roots.

Brazile, a New Orleans native, is recognized as the first African-American to lead a presidential campaign, named to Oprah Magazine’s first “O Power list,” a member of Washington magazine’s “100 Most Powerful Women,” and Essence Magazine’s “Top 50 Women in America.” Her political success dates back to when, at age nine, she helped a City Council candidate win an election.

Crosby believes that with an increase in local and national controversial issues that revolve around the Constitution, “this the perfect time to discuss this topic. As a race of people, we are still fighting for rights, not just African-Americans, but also Hispanic-Americans and other people of this country,” he stated.

Constitution Day replaces what used to be called “Citizenship Day” via a law passed in 2004, which mandates that all publicly funded educational institutions and any school receiving federal funds provide educational programming on the history of the American Constitution.

This event kicks off The ROCK THE MIC – Vol. 1 Motivational Speakers Series at Jackson State University, which features lectures and presentations from a broad spectrum of national and international speakers on critical and contemporary topics such as education, politics, civic engagement, social awareness, and other topics relevant to the diverse University community.